Speaking of yaks . . .

In the spirit of if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I'm playing with the
notion of getting a fishing yak -- maybe a Pungo or something similar.

Question for the yak experts. Given that I am of advanced middle age
with a significant pot and limited shoulder stremgth, is paddling
upstream against weak to moderate currents feasible? I doubt I'll
have a shuttle service available to me so it would seem like an idea
to paddle upstream (walking it through fast water) and then do the
drift back. The Saugeen, upstream of Denny's Dam, has very limited
access and wonderful stretches of water with little or no angling
pressure (the Pirate can attest to the latter). I could put in at one
of the few access points, paddle and fish up, then paddle and drift
back. It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Peter

On 3 Mar 2004 11:39:43 -0800, (Peter Charles)
wrote:

Question for the yak experts. Given that I am of advanced middle age
with a significant pot and limited shoulder stremgth, is paddling
upstream against weak to moderate currents feasible?

That's what I do, mostly, except in salt water. Sometimes I even troll
a wooly bugger upstream and then drift and fish dries on the way down.
--
Charlie...

Peter Charles wrote:

... It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Why ? I mean for people of close to average proportions who can
walk and chew gum at the same time, why does a sit-on-top kayak
beat a solo canoe ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 19:52:32 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Peter Charles wrote:

... It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Why ? I mean for people of close to average proportions who can
walk and chew gum at the same time, why does a sit-on-top kayak
beat a solo canoe ?

A Pungo isn't a SOT, but it also beats a canoe - lighter, easier to
paddle, more maneuverable, ... etc. A SOT has the additional advantage
of being easier to get in/out of on the water. I don't have a Pungo,
but I have had a couple of canoes.
--
Charlie...

In article , Charlie Choc
wrote:

On Wed, 03 Mar 2004 19:52:32 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Peter Charles wrote:

... It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Why ? I mean for people of close to average proportions who can
walk and chew gum at the same time, why does a sit-on-top kayak
beat a solo canoe ?

A Pungo isn't a SOT, but it also beats a canoe - lighter, easier to
paddle, more maneuverable, ... etc. A SOT has the additional advantage
of being easier to get in/out of on the water. I don't have a Pungo,
but I have had a couple of canoes.

I do have a Pungo. While it's certainly not the lightest yak around
it's roomy but not so wide it's hard to paddle. It tracks well and
seems to has enough heft and keel to keep it from blowing all over the
place by the wind wind when sitting, which is my main reason for liking
a kayak over a solo canoe (although I'd like to have both!)
I've taken a spring clip, attached a pully and clipped that to either
the bow or stern loop and run a line from the cockpit to a small
anchor. This easily allows me remove the anchor for days I'm just
paddling, clip it to the stern for anchoring in moving water or to the
bow which works better in still water.

Allen
Catonsville, MD

Ken Fortenberry wrote in message . com...
Peter Charles wrote:

... It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Why ? I mean for people of close to average proportions who can
walk and chew gum at the same time, why does a sit-on-top kayak
beat a solo canoe ?

Getting in and out, control, ease of beaching, weathercocking, ease of
putting on top of car, won't swamp. I'm neither an expert at canoes
or yaks but given my physical limitations, a yak seems better. I'm
prepared to be proven wrong.

On 3 Mar 2004 15:36:28 -0800, (Peter Charles)
wrote:

I'm
prepared to be proven wrong.

A local shop here has a canoe and kayak 'paddlefest' once a year where
you can try out any/all of their boats on the river. Maybe there is
something like that up there where you could do the same.
--
Charlie...

Peter Charles wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Peter Charles wrote:

... It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Why ? I mean for people of close to average proportions who can
walk and chew gum at the same time, why does a sit-on-top kayak
beat a solo canoe ?

Getting in and out, control, ease of beaching, weathercocking, ease of
putting on top of car, won't swamp. I'm neither an expert at canoes
or yaks but given my physical limitations, a yak seems better. I'm
prepared to be proven wrong.

Charlie gives good advice when he says to paddle both, and you're the
only judge of which is better for you, but I don't believe one word of
anything I've read in this thread regarding the supposed superiority
of kayaks over a good quality solo canoe.

Compare the Pungo (48-53 lbs.)

http://www.wildernesssystems.com/kay...creational.php

with the Wenonah Vagabond (24-42 lbs.) and Sandpiper (22-39 lbs.)

http://www.oakorchardcanoe.com/vagabond.htm

http://www.oakorchardcanoe.com/sandpiperwenonah.htm

Good shopping and happy paddling !

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Peter Charles" wrote in message
om...
Ken Fortenberry wrote in message
. com...
Peter Charles wrote:

... It would seem to beat the canoe alternative.

Why ? I mean for people of close to average proportions who can
walk and chew gum at the same time, why does a sit-on-top kayak
beat a solo canoe ?

Getting in and out, control, ease of beaching, weathercocking, ease of
putting on top of car, won't swamp. I'm neither an expert at canoes
or yaks but given my physical limitations, a yak seems better. I'm
prepared to be proven wrong.

Let me try, Peter, and repay you for your gentle introduction to roff a few
years ago.

First, note that kayaks have decks, and sprayskirts to keep the water out of
your lap. This applies to high-volume touring boats as well as smaller
playboats, which is not what you are interested in. This gives you an
'inside' for your gear, but it is not quickly accessible, or conducive for a
long rod. SOTs, OTOH, are like sitting on a surfboard, so there is no
'inside' for your gear: it sits on top with you. That makes it easy to get
at, but also easy to fall out or for stuff to fall overboard.

Kayaks turn over pretty easily, and beginners always swim when they do.
This goes for SOTs also, so expect to lose some fishing gear when that
happens. Kayaks are inherenly less stable than canoes, ride lower in the
water so they swamp easier if you don't have the skirt on, are harder to
steer straight, and get very antsy in moving water. Working the blade can be
a bit uninstinctual, especially if you are panicking. You also sit closer to
the surface, have no place to put your paddle when you are casting (and
having it drift off is a bad thing), they are quite hard to get in and out
of when you are on a steep shore, and you cannot take a **** out of them
easily.

Canoes, OTOH, are very stable, do not tip over easily (at least, as easily
as a yak), you can stand to cast if you want, have a spacious 'inside' for
your gear, including a fully-rigged rod, beach easily, can be turned over
for a table, and you can take a friend. You can put your paddle and gear in
it quickly and easily, can carry lunch, your gear won't wash overboard if
you drop it, and you can even carry extra rods easily.

The only real advantage to a yak is the weight for putting it on the roof of
your car. However, some canoes (kevlar ones) are incredibly lightweight,
although they are incredibly expensive, and there are many tricks for
loading any canoe on a roof.

Your best bet is to try each one a few times. I could not imagine trying to
fish out of a yak, nor could I imagine any portable boat more appropriate
and versatile than a canoe.

--riverman

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 00:23:34 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

but I don't believe one word of
anything I've read in this thread regarding the supposed superiority
of kayaks over a good quality solo canoe.

Ever paddled a kayak (SOT or not)?
--
Charlie...